DRAINAGE 



and allow surplus water to collect until it 

 floods the soil above, and straightway you 

 have trouble with your plants. None but 

 aquatics or semi-aquatics can long survive 

 their roots in mud. 



I have explained the principle of drainage 

 at some length because I want to impress 

 upon the mind of the reader the absolute 

 necessity of giving careful attention to this 

 matter if he or she desires to grow good 

 plants. Every pot more than four inches 

 across, and less than six, ought to have an 

 inch of drainage below the soil in it, and pots 

 larger than six inches, and from that size to 

 ten inches should be provided with an inch 

 and a half or two inches of it. 



This material may be of any substance that 

 is not readily affected by water. Broken 

 pottery, brick, gravel, charcoal — all these are 

 good. Break them into pieces about the size 

 of a chestnut. Place some of the larger pieces 

 about the hole in the bottom of the pot in 

 such a manner that they will neither fall into 

 it, or allow others to, and fill in about them 

 with smaller pieces to the necessary depth. 

 Some advise placing something flat over the 

 hole in the pot, but I do not, for if any of the 



29 



